Humanity Lost: A Tale from the Labyrinth
by The Marauders
Summary: Formerly "Slayers Labyrinth." A Slayers version of the classic movie, starring Zel as Sarah! When Zel wishes to be stronger, Rezo grants that request. But when he ends up losing two thirds of his humanity, he must go through the Labyrinth to get it back
1. Transformation

In the words of the worm. . .

"'Ello!"

"Did you just say 'Hello'?"

"No, I said 'Ello', but that's close enough!"

Also, I don't own any part of Slayers.

**Slayers Labyrinth**

By Moony

Chapter One: Transformation

He walked towards the Goblin King, his cerulean eyes glaring at him behind locks of messy blue hair. He could feel the wind blowing around him, smell the fresh cut grass and the pine trees. He noted a slight dampness in the air, mixed with static electricity which hinted at a coming storm. The lone, brave prince took no note of these things, however, for he was concentrating too deeply on his nemesis, with its keen, slit eyes.

"Give me my humanity!" the prince said, his velvety voice echoing in the air.

The other merely blinkedits eyes.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin city, to take backthe parts of methat you have stolen!"

The prince paused his speech, taking a breath. "For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great!" he stopped again, his eyes scanning an invisible sheet. He frowned, trying to think. "... and my kingdom is as great ..." Thunder rolled in the background, as if to mimic the frustration in the prince's blue eyes.

"Damn!" He pulled out a small red book from his clothing, its smooth cover reading 'Labyrinth' in fine gold letters. "I can never remember that line!" He flipped through the pages in careful irritation, his fingers finding the correct page by memory.

"You have no power over me!"

As if celebrating the statement, the local clock tower began to ring, jerking the 'prince' back to reality and sending the fantasy world he'd built up back into the story books. His white tunic, pants and cape became replaced by his normal sweatshirt and khakis, the sword at his side disappearing. The Goblin King flew away, being nothing more than a curious Merlin.

He sighed, replacing the book in his pocket, and casually glanced up at the clock tower. Cursing, he nearly tripped as he began to rush over the wet grass.

"Crap. It's 7:00already. The fruit cake'snever going to shut up about this!" he began to run out of the park, then stopped. "Whatever, let him complain." He was about to pull out his book again and continue on when another clash of thunder sent down a tidal wave of rain, forcinghim to make his decision immediately. He chose to be in the safe, warm house, and ran.

Zelgadiss Greywyrds was not your normal teenager. At 18, he was a loner, obsessed with the occult, shunning anyone who tried to be his friend. He preferred to stick his nose in a book and let his imagination take him away then to play sports or go on dates. Zel didn't want girlfriends or friends, he was generally happy the way he was.

Of course, Zel can sometimes be one big oxymoron. He also liked to be depressed. It was what he was best at. Of course, his popular,attractive room-mate, Xelloss, wasn't making that easy for him. That god-damn fruit cake always had to be so cheerful.

He cut through his front lawn, running up into the doorway. Sighing, he opened the door, and glanced inside. Not seeing anyone, he tried to sneak in as quietly as possible-

"You're late, Zelly!" A soft voice called from the hallway. Zel winced.

"Yeah, I ... uhh ... had to pick up a few things." He replied, mentally giving Xelloss a rude gesture.

"Well, Zelas-sama decided to leave without us. I hope you're happy."A purple-haired head poked out from the doorway, a frown on its face. Zel had to struggle to keep from grinning.

"No, I'm sorry, I really am." He shook his head and turned to head up stairs to his room and dry off. "I'll just be in my room for the rest of the evening ..."

"But don't worry! I've decided to make this 'Xelloss-And-Zel's-Night-Of-Fun!'"

Zel froze, his face becoming distorted with terror. Xel just grinned and walked out into the main hallway, heading for the kitchen. He was carrying a board game.

"Oh, horrors of all horrors ..." Zel choked, but followed Xellossinto the kitchen and sat down at the table.

Xelloss, as much as Zel loathed to admit, was his step-brother, and the free housing was provided by Zel's step-mother, Zelas. In exchange, Zel was forced to endure Xelloss's companionship and spend one night each week in the presence of both his step-brother and step-mother, which he'd conveniently missed. As it was, he was stuck playing Boggle with the bane of his existence. On a Saturday night, no less.

"Where the hell did you find 'pneumonia' in that?!" Zel cried, angrily gesturing to the table. Xelloss smiled and pointed out the word,Zel scrunching his face as he attempted to make the connection

"You know what? Nevermind. Just, nevermind. I'm going upstairs."

"You have to play this game, Zelly!" Xelloss smirked before Zelgadiss had a chance to rise from his chair.

"No, I _have to_ kick your ass into the next dimension. Unfortunately, I am unable to do so, due to my wonderful financial situation." Zel grumbled, glaring at Xelloss from beneath a stray bang of hair. Xel's jovial grin turned into a slightly-sadistic one as he leaned forward in his chair.

"You're no where_near _strong enough, Zelly." Xelloss whispered. Zel glared at him for a few moments before slumping back in his seat.

"I know ..." he groaned, "But I'm getting better. Just you wait ..." he looked up at some invisible point on the ceiling and grinned to himself.

"Once upon a time, this prince, who was the great-grandson of the Goblin King, wanted to be strong. He said the magic words and the Goblin King transformed him completely, giving him the strength he desired." Zel sighed and got up. "Those magic words were …"

Zel stopped, shaking his head, and Xeloos grinned in response.

"Were ...?"

Zel stared at the other, his eyelid twitching in frustration. He rose from his chair, gripping the table tightly.

"I'm going to bed."

As Zel started climbing up the stairs, Xelloss called after him.

"Well, alright! You're such a weakling, Zelly, I wouldn't expect you to even be able to beat me at Boggle!"

Zel's fist slammed into the banister, his voice a growl in his throat.

"I wish the Goblin King would come and transform me completely. Right now." He muttered, turning back up the stairs. The words were hardly out of his mouth when he noticed a man standing at the top of the stairs, then all went black.


	2. Into the Labyrinth

**Slayers Labyrinth**

Chapter Two: Into the Labyrinth

When Zel awoke, the first thing he noticed was that his head felt heavy. Then that his arms felt heavy. And his legs. And his entire body.With some struggling, he managed to get to his feet, though he had a pounding headache and he thought he was going to vomit at any given moment. He managed to fight his pain and discomfort and open his eyes (he was momentarily overwhelmed by blind spots) to find himself sitting in a wide field.

He could feel the wind blowing through his hair, and he brought a hand up to brush the ever-so-messy strand behind his ear-only to realize that for some reason, that strand - the strandthat_always_ needed to be brushed back - wasn't moving. He glanced at the hand hovering inches from his face, and nearly screamed with terror. If is hand had been an object, he would've dropped it and tried to get as far away from it as possible.

His skin, which had always been a soft, pale color, was now an iron-blue, with dark blue bumps popping out all over the place. Feeling the bile rise in his throat, he inspected his other hand, and saw that it, too, was blue. In a state of panic, he started looking at his arms and legs, only to come up with the same facts. Zel fell back down on the soft grass, whimpering.

"If you think that's neat, just wait until you FEEL it." A soft voice said from behind him. Zel quickly got up again, fighting back a head-rush, and whirled around. He recognized the man before him as the figure he saw before he passed out, the memorysuddenly rushingback to him.

The man was tall and had the same sharp jaw-line and velvety hair that Zel had, but Zel's was a light blue-blond, and the other's was violet-black. He was wearing flowing red robes, ('Like a priest,' Zel noted) and he held a long staff in his hand.

"What?!" Zel asked, regaining himself and immediately trying to get on top of the situation.

"I said," the man smiled gently, as if repeating himself to a child who couldn't understand adult sentences. "Just wait until you feel it."

Zel blinked at him in confusion, then brought his right hand up to his left arm and brushed his fingers against his new skin. His eyes widened in horror at the feeling of cold stone beneath his fingertips.

"Yes ..." the Priest said giddily to himself. "I've certainly outdone myself this time! Look at you!"

"Look at me ..." Zel said, making a meek echo of the person in red. "What have you done?!" he demanded. The man looked momentarily hurt.

"What have I done? I've only given you what you asked for! 'A complete transformation' is what you said, right? Well, this is pretty complete! Human's soul, demon's strength, golem's body! Pretty impressive, if I could say so myself." He chattered lightly, completely oblivious to the negative expressions on Zel's face.

"Asked for? What are you-" his eyes widened in comprehension. "You're the Goblin King." His voice was a hushed whisper. The Goblin King grinned and nodded.

"That I am." He said. Zel recovered from his shock and shook his head.

"Well, I was just joking, so turn me back." He said. The Goblin King frowned.

"Back?" He asked. Zel nodded. "I'm sorry, I can't do that." His tone was matter-of-fact, as if he was reporting the weather.

"You can't. What do youmean you can't?" Zel felt anger boiling inside of him. In an instant, he had his hand on the Red King's throat. "_You_ did this to me, so _you can _turn me back, I think."

"My, my! You should learn to control your temper, boy." The King said, trying to wriggle from Zel's grasp. "What I meant was that the other two thirds of your human self are already in my kingdom." He pointed off in the horizon, and Zel followed his extended finger to see that he was no longer standing in a field, but on the edge of a cliff in a barren desert. Before him was a huge Labyrinth which looked like it extended for miles, and a mammoth castle at the other side.

"If you want your human form back, then you'll have to go there." He pried Zel's fingers away from his neck and inched back. "But it won't be easy. You have 13 hours. After that, your body will be stuck that way forever."

"_What?_" Zel yelled, advancing on the red-clad man again, "That's not fair!Give me my body back _now_!" He lunged at the other, butthe Goblin Kingwas already disappearing.

"I'm sorry!" he laughed, "You'll just have to get there on your own. But if I were you, I'd turn back and save myself the trouble." His laughter echoed around Zel long after he'd vanished, leaving Zel to think about the situation.

"Well, this is just fantastic." He muttered bitterly. He started to shove his hands in his khaki pockets when he looked down and realized he didn'thave any pockets. He was wearing a white tunic and pants with a long, white, flowing cape that was held together at the front by a ruby clasp. A sword with a simple golden hilt was at his side.

"Well, well ..." He said, allowing himself a smirk, "Maybe this isn't so bad after all." He looked down at his hands again. "Or, maybe it is." He shrugged, "Better get going."

He started making his way towards the entrance, when he saw a group of bandits pounding on the Labyrinth doors. Suddenly, the doors opened to reveal a short red-head in black mage attire. She grinned sweetly at the bandits before muttering a few choice words, blasting them sky high.  
_  
My kind of lady_. Zel was making a mental note to stay out of her when he realized that shewas guarding the only way (that he could see) in. Steeling his will, he used his cloak to cover his face and walked up to her. When she saw him, she immediately started chanting her spell again, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her. She looked surprised by his touch, and he too was shocked by his forwardness.

"Umm ..." He immediately jerked his hand away and he could feel himself blush under his hood.

"Excuse me, but is it okay for me to enter the labyrinth?" he asked. The young woman looked at him for a moment before smiling.

"Oh, sure. Sorry about that, I thought you were one of the bandits that I stole from earlier." She gestured to the pile of bruised and burned thugs that were laying by the entrance. "Those guys never learn their lesson. What's a defender-of-justice such as myself to do?" She sighed dramatically, and Zel raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do defenders-of-justice often steal?" He asked. He had no time to react as she knocked him on the head.

"_Ow!_"She cried out, rubbing her hand. "What are you made of, buddy?" She asked,before remembering the cause of heranger. "And it's not_stealing_ if you're taking it from bandits. What do you take me for, a petty thief?"

"No, just a petty defender-of-justice. Now are you going to let me through?" He asked. She huffed angrily at him but stepped out of the way.

"Thank you." He walked through the entrance way and sighed.He turned his head in both directions, taking in the unchanging, long, straight passageways on either side.

"Strange." He muttered, shrugging and turning right.

"Hey - hey wait!" The girl's voice cried out from behind him. He sighed again, turning to face her.

"You're notreally going to do it, are you?" She asked, placing a hand on his arm to hold him back. He glanced down at it, reaching up to pluck it off.

"Yes." He said, coolly, then turned again.

"Well, wait, will you?" She shouted, then grinned slyly. "This is a dangerous area. You need someone who knows it well. For a cheap, cheap price of only 10 gold pieces, I would be willing to -" Zel cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Forget it." He said, "I don't need anyone's help, and I've already lost precious time talking to you. Good bye." He walked off, leaving her standing there.

"Well, fine!" She yelled after him. "But don't say I didn't warn you!" she turned angrily back in the direction of the entrance way, but stopped suddenly. She whirled around.

"Wait! Watch out for the--"

Zel disappeared through a hole in the ground, screaming. The girl winced.

"Ohhh, shoulda remembered earlier ... that's gonna make him sore." She grinned, "Bet he'll be wanting those services now." And she skipped off happily towards the hole.


	3. Meet Gourry

Slayers Labyrinth  
  
By Shahiri Mooney  
  
Chapter Three  
  
After the sorceress had helped Zel escape from his little situation, she had introduced herself as Lina Inverse, the world's most powerful (believable) and beautiful (doubtful) black mage. She had then offered Zel her services one more time, but he turned them down because he didn't have anything to pay her with. The young woman thought for a moment, before grinning at him.  
"Don't worry about it, Zel." She said, already calling him by his nickname. "I have a feeling that this will be worth it, anyway, so I'll help you out and claim my prize when I found out what it is." She had winked at him and he managed to crack a grin. What could he say? He hated the feeling of dependence, but if he said no, he would never get through the Labyrinth alive, let alone in time to get his body back. He felt that shrugging and grunting would be the best way to accept her offer without damaging his ego too badly. She had grinned and slapped him on the back enthusiastically, then cried out in pain for the second time.  
"Really, what ARE you?" she asked, but dropped the question when she saw the look in his eyes. He still hadn't uncovered his face. She supposed he was horribly scarred or something, but that didn't explain why his skin was so hard. Lina Inverse hated not knowing everything, but she figured it was none of her business. . . and she could always take a peak when he was sleeping.   
That was what she thought, until-  
"WHAT?!" she yelled, causing Zel to wince.  
"Lower your voice, please." He said calmly, "And would you keep moving? We're wasting time." Lina had stopped walking when she'd heard the news.  
"You expect me to get you to the castle in a little over eleven hours?! It's NOT going to happen! At best, it's taken me a day to get there, and that was before I stole the Goblin King's Orihalcon statue, and he's set up extra protection in the Labyrinth so that it's harder for me to get there."  
"Well, then you're just going to have to work extr hard for that 'reward' of yours, kid." He said.  
"KID?! I am NOT a kid."  
"Alright. . ." he said, rolling his eyes. He was obviously humouring her. "How old ARE you, then?"  
She stopped, her arms folded across her chest. "16." Zel's eyes widened.  
"You're 16?!"  
She opened her mouth to reply when they suddenly heard a petrified scream. Without hesitation, they ran around a bend in the Labyrinth and found a terrified young woman with aqua-green hair standing next to an older man. A 10-foot-tall blond Sasquatch type thing stood before them. The girl screeched again.  
"Daddy, it's TERRIBLE! Get rid of it, NOW!"  
"Well, alright Martina, dear. Guards!"  
At the man's beckoning, a group of Golem guards rushed into the area and tried to capture the Sasquatch-beast, which just moaned and pushed them aside.  
"Think we should do something?" Lina asked, and didn't wait for Zel's reply. She walked up to the beast, placed a hand on its furry coat, and said:  
"I caught it!"  
The girl began wailing again, but this time, it was in joy.  
"Thank you! My hero!" she cried out, walking towards Lina, who shrugged modestly.  
"Oh, it was nothing, really." Her eyes widened in confusion as Martina walked straight past the red-head to Zel.  
"What would I have done without you, oh handsome knight?"  
Lina watched in horror as Martina closed her eyes, standing on her tip-toes. She reached out and pulled off Zel's mask-  
"Oh, well, that explains a lot." Lina said, loudly. Martina opened her eyes in confusion, and screamed. She leapt back, her eyes wide with fright.  
"Oh, daddy, it's terrible! Get rid of it, now!"  
Lina rolled her eyes and walked calmk\ly up to Zel, placing her hand on his arm.  
"I caught him." She said. Martina's forehead wrinkled in disgusted.  
"How can you touch that thing?!"  
The sorceress's grip on Zel's arm tightened in annoyance. "He's not a 'thing'."  
"But look at it! It's horrifying!"  
Lina's eye started to twitch.  
"He's not horrifying."  
"IT'S UGLY!!!"  
"He's not ugly!!!" Lina stated chanting a few words under her breath. "FIREBALL!!!!!"  
Zel watched in amusement as Martina and her father got blasted, then ran away, screaming.  
"Uhhh. . . thank you?" Zel covered his face again. Lina's shoulder were heaving from her trying to take deep, calming breaths. She stopped and looked up at him, shrugging.  
"Eh. People like that just really get on my nerves."  
Suddenly, the big Sasquatch came up to them.  
"Oh, I forgot about this guy." Lina looked at it, and the creature blinked, then grinned widely.  
"Thanks a lot, little girl! That lady was SCARY!" it said.  
"It can TALK?!" Zel cried out in alarm.  
"Little GIRL?!" Lina felt her temple begin to throb.  
"My name's Gourry," the creature continued, "Boy, since you guys were so nice, I'm gonna have to go with you, so I can repay the favor." Lina and Zel exchanged glances.  
"Well. . . can you do anything?" Lina asked, giving Gourry a disbelieving look. He reached into his fur and took out a sword's hilt.  
"I have this thing called the Sword of Light. . ." Lina's eyes widened.  
"That'll do. Let's go."  
  
~~  



	4. Distractions

Slayers Labyrinth  
  
By Miss Moony  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers (I'm too lazy to be original. So sue me.)  
  
Note: I decided I didn't want this to be as long as I'd originally intended it to be, so I'm sorry if things seem a little rushed. Also, I'm REALLY sorry for not updating in so long. I have four academics this semester, but I'm putting effort into this because I might be able to score some marks for my English Honours class. And sorry, hard-core Labyrinth fans. . . No Jarreth and Sarah pairing in this story. **dodges flying maces, fireballs, and other Slayers-oriented attacks** As a note, because Labyrinth fans LOVE their Jarreth and Sarah: I'm not saying I don't SUPPORT that pairing. I'm just saying that for the purposes of my story, it's a Sarah-Hoggle story. Okay? And no Bog of Eternal Stench! I'm SORRY!!!  
  
  
  
Chapter Four  
  
  
  
The trio continued on through the Labyrinth, struggling to put up with the massive blond rug that kept commenting on the scenery whenever he felt inspired to say something idiotic. Zel had taken to walking between the fiery sorceress and the blond beast, as she kept trying to steal Gourry's sword, though Zel still found himself trying to figure out where he kept the thing, and she kept trying to beat him whenever he said something stupid. Which was quite often. Though he himself could understand the temptation, he had a bit more self-control from than the short red-head, and appointed himself 'Protector of the Great Dumb One.'  
  
So they wandered around the Labyrinth, seemingly getting nowhere, and Zel found his mind shifting from where Gourry kept the Sword of Light to whether or not Lina knew where she was going. Although she radiated an aura of confidence, the scenery around them never changed, and he was beginning to believe that they were just going around in circles. Knowing Lina, though, he didn't dare question her, for fear of flying fireballs.  
  
Lina watched her blue-skinned companion as they made their way through a wild forest that had somehow grown in the Labyrinth's walls. Thick, maroon trunks acted as walls, twisting and turning so that they would face dead ends, turn around, then find another one. Their wide blue leaves blocked out the sunlight, making it difficult to see where they were going, and she herself was having trouble remembering the route. She noticed Zel's aggravation, but silently scolded him for expecting to get through the Labyrinth in the time limit that he'd given her. She had no idea why he was in such a hurry, but it was impossible to do it in 12 hours, so he would simply have to be a little late. She studied him out of the corner of her eye, noticing his intense expressions of concern, and wondered what he was thinking about. He'd eventually removed his face from cover, stripping himself of his cloak in the humidity of the jungle, and she hoped that he didn't notice her gaze and replace his mask. He was really quite intriguing. His eyes sparkled like brilliant sapphires and his smooth, rock skin seemed to be a polished marble, except for the shining pebbles that were sprinkled across his face. An unavoidable thought popped into Lina's head, and she considered it before her natural defenses could push it aside as ridiculous. She felt herself wondering what Zel's skin felt like, and she laughed nervously, causing him to look her way. It seemed he HAD noticed her stare and he moved to replace his hood, frowning slightly.  
  
"No, Zel, stop!" She said, sternly.  
  
"It's really hot, Zel. Why do you want your cape on?" Gourry asked, uncomfortably scratching his shaggy mane of blond hair. Zel glared at Lina, whose hand was grabbing the cape draped over his arm.  
  
"I'll make that sacrifice so that others feel more comfortable." He said, his eyes cold with depression more than loathing. Lina frowned at him, unable to believe that he could think he looked so horrible.  
  
"For your information, I was admiring your fine physique." She said, smugly. Zel raised an eyebrow, studying her as her expression slowly changed when what she'd said finally sunk in. A faint rose tinge graced her cheeks, and her brow furrowed.  
  
"I meant it looks cool." She blurted, turning abruptly and pointing towards a cluster of purple-leaved bushes. "I believe we go this way, now. Follow me." She headed away from them, disappearing among the foliage. Zel and Gourry stared after her.  
  
"Lina think you're pretty." Gourry said, smiling. "But you gotta tell her you're too old for her." Her scratched his fur again, then his massive legs moved towards the bushes, following Lina.  
  
"She's 16." Zel wasn't even listening to Gourry shocked replies as he followed the sorceress, coming upon the remains of an old stone path, the blond beast blundering along behind him.  
  
Note: Alliteration is fun ^_^  
  
Zel studied the path, noting it to be vacant, and frowned. Where had she gone?  
  
"Lina?" Zel called, peering around the bend in the trees.  
  
"Liiiiinaaaa!!!" Gourry joined in, shouting at the top of his lungs. When they received no reply, he turned to Zel and shrugged. "I think she left us."  
  
Zel felt his stomach droop as he realized that Gourry might be right. After all, he wasn't paying her anything to be their guide, she'd just come along for free. He'd been starting to enjoy her company, and now that she'd left him alone with the God of Stupidity, he was realizing how useful she'd actually been. He sighed, shaking his head as he beckoned for Gourry to follow. They trudged down the path, but had hardly gone three steps before Zel stopped in his tracks, his demon ears prickling at noises Gourry couldn't hear.  
  
"Zel! Gourry! ANYBODY!" Lina's voice was faint and distant, but it seemed to be coming from Zel's right. He turned without a second thought, bolting through the trees.  
  
"Lina?!" He cried, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Nothing but the maroon trunks of the trees found his gaze, and he cursed. He kept running, his legs pumping as fast as they could until he came upon a clearing. Although it appeared vacant at first, his eyes feel upon a granite staircase, hardly visible in the shadows of the foliage. He headed for it, pounding up the steps as he heard Gourry following close behind, calling his name.  
  
"Quiet!" Zel hissed, straining his ears to hear above his pants as he climbed the stairway.. Its top had been cut off from view by the canopy of the trees, but as he ascended, it seemed to be much taller then he'd originally believed.  
  
'How could Lina have gotten this far?' He asked himself, but did not consider turning around. Her pleas for help still managed to reach his ears, and they told him he was going in the right direction. They grew steadily louder, before they stopped, abruptly, and Zel panicked, his hear thumping in his chest. He used any demon strength that Rezo had granted him and flew up the stairs like a lightning bolt.  
  
As he finally reached the top of the stairs, the vision that met him was so utterly confusing that he cursed, exhausted from his flight. Rezo stood there, robed in his scarlet hues, towering over Lina, who was tied to a pillar. A giant, grotesque slug was slowly making its way towards her, but Zel could see no reason for her desperate cries. He was unable to ask her what caused her plight, for her head was drooped across her chest, her eyes closed. He only prayed that she was just unconscious.  
  
"Lina!" Gourry arrived soon after Zel, out of breath but equally shocked by the scene. Rezo slowly turned towards them, a small smirk on his face as he seemed to study the newcomers, though his eyes were closed.  
  
"My dear Zel," He started, his arms stretching out as if he intended to embrace the younger man. Zel shot him a disgusted glance and the priest backed off, realizing it would not be a good idea. "You've been very clever in hiring Lina to be your guide, but she's been working for me. You're farther from my kingdom then you were when you started." He teased, hi soft voice infuriatingly amused. Zel turned his eyes away from Lina, content that she wasn't dead. He directed his stony – both figuratively and literally – gaze towards the red priest, studying his expression.  
  
"Liar." He said, finally. Rezo shrugged.  
  
"Yes, well, I imagine it must be hard to believe when I have her tied up and in apparent turmoil, so I'll admit that she's helping you, and I'm not influencing her in the least. But it was an appropriate distraction, don't you think? You are now. . . perhaps. . . half an hour behind schedule." He mused, his fingers playing with his chin in a mock of contemplation.  
  
"That's not FAIR!" Zel cried, his fists clenching at his sides.  
  
"No it isn't." Rezo admitted. "But what can you do about it?" Zel decided that charging madly in Rezo's direction would do SOMETHING about it, but when the priest disappeared, reappearing, in the next moment, by Zel's side, he was stunned into silence.  
  
"If she kisses you," The Red Priest whispered into his ear, "I'll turn your soul into a demon's, too." Zel almost laughed.  
  
"You don't have to worry about THAT happening." He replied, bitterly. Rezo pulled away, smiling at the chimera.  
  
"You sound like you wish it would." He smirked, before vanishing into thin air. Zel felt the heat rise up his neck towards his face, and he blamed it on his anger. However, as he quickly rushed over to Lina, untying her and kneeling, resting her on his knee, he reconsidered. It was possible that he was just embarrassed because he knew Rezo was right.  
  
'Well, it wouldn't be that bad. . .' He thought, angrily, but he was interrupted by Gourry's clueless voice.  
  
"Is she dead?" He asked, concern on his large face.  
  
"No, just unconscious." Zel replied, giving Gourry what he thought was an assuring glance. He managed to catch the vacant expression on Gourry's face and sighed.  
  
"She's asleep." He explained, and Gourry nodded, understanding finally appearing in his eyes.  
  
"That's kind of silly. LINA, WAKE UP!!!"  
  
Zel winced and stepped back, not wanting to be in her line of fire when she graced them with her conscious presence, but he didn't stop the waking red-head from casting a nasty spell on the mass of shaggy blond hair, as he felt Gourry would learn a valuable lesson that way:  
  
"Don't wake Lina when the slug is still there."  
  
Zel's earlier question about the inspiration for Lina's screams was answered as she grabbed him and held him before her like a shield, whimpering and cowering behind him as sobs overcame her. He felt her heaving form huddled against his back and a mix between amused and disbelieving emotions overcame him as he studied the knee-high, sliming creature. He chuckled, turning to grasp one of her arms, and lead her down the stair case, taking one last glance at the sky before descending below the forest canopy. He caught the position of the sun, and subconsciously tried to time its position, nearly screaming as the result popped into his head. Dread filled his heart as he rushed Gourry and Lina down the granite stair case, begging them to hurry.  
  
They had six hours left. 


	5. Any Happy Little Thought

Slayers Labyrinth

AN: So it's been a little while since I updated, I know. But I have the next chapter of this actually written. Well, to tell the truth, I had both these chapters written in one of my journals and that journal got lost and forgotten amongst other journals and then I went to the UK for a few months and left those journals here and only brought a few journals. Mmyep.

"Any Happy Little Thought…"

After Lina had recovered, they continued on through the Labyrinth, the shirt girl now looking extremely put out.

"I'm really sorry about that." She mumbled, her voice sounding miserable. In an instant her brow was set in determination and she beat her fists together.

"I just can't believe he caught me off guard like that! One second I was doing fine and the next, he'd changed the Labyrinth and caught me with a spell." She shook her head, irritated, "I wanted to Dragonslave him, but I couldn't. I didn't know where you guys were, so I couldn't risk it."

Zel had listened in understanding, but his eyes widened suddenly at her words.

"Wait, Dragonslave actually exists? You can cast it?" He asked, astonished. He'd only read about the immensely difficult spell in an old book he'd acquired from an antiques store. As a believer in magic, even he'd disregarded it as fantasy. Lina cast him a sideways glance.

"Of course it is, and of course I can!" She managed to brag without sounding like the aqua-haired princess from before, making Zel suppress a smirk. For a minute he'd been worried about her, showing concern for him and Gourry when her own hide had been at stake.

"Where'd fuzzball go?" Lina asked, pulling Zel from his thoughts and forcing him into the moment. He looked around, suddenly noticing that their large, hairy companion had disappeared.

"Gourry?" He called, then shrugged half-heartedly. "Oh well, big deal. Like he did much anyway. Let's keep going." He moved onwards, hearing Lina's steps fall into time with his own. Her eyes followed him and she smirked.

"Why not look for him?" She asked. Zel gave her a shocked look, gesturing to himself.

"In case you haven't noticed, an all powerful priest has stolen my humanity, and I only have six hours to get it back." He muttered, taking longer, faster strides. He made sure to sound as gruff and irritated as possible, ignoring the fact that Lina was struggling to keep up with his longer legs.

"You say that," she huffed, "but look how much you're enjoying yourself." Zel scoffed.

"What makes you think I'm enjoying myself?" He demanded, not bothering to slow his pace at all. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to hear what Lina was implying. If he was enjoying himself, then he was bound to slow down, bound to get distracted and make time-costing mistakes. If he was enjoying himself, he could risk losing his humanity forever, and he'd only have himself to blame.

"Because," Lina almost laughed, "of the grin on your face."

"I'm not grinning."

"You are, too."

And he was. A hand shot up to his mouth when he realized she was right and he quickly brought it down again, his smile gone and replaced with one of the very convincing frowns he'd worked on for most of his life.

"Face it, Zel." Her voice was cheerful, "you're having fun. And I happen to like the way you look, plus you must pack a nasty punch with a stone fist. Who cares if we're late?"

He didn't have to pretend to be upset. He maintained his speed and shot her a glare over his shoulder.

"Why?"

She blinked, "Why what?"

"Why do you say that?" He snapped at her, now truly angry. There was a silence as Lina opened to mouth to reply, but he swiftly cut her off.

"We're behind schedule, aren't we?" He groaned, feeling his heart sink into his stomach. Lina narrowly avoided tripping on a rock and grabbed on to Zel's arm for support, sending them both toppling over. When they landed, Lina's legs were arched over Zel's stomach and they both sat, rubbing various acquired bruises.

"Zel, listen, I told you it was impossible right from the star. Rezo's labyrinth is just too tough to tackle in that amount of time." She explained, cradling her head in her hands. Zel rubbed at his hip irritably.

"Then make it possible! I'm enough of an outcast back home as it is, somehow I doubt the pebbled skin condition will help my love life." He grumbled. He'd meant for it to be a joke and Lina picked up on it, clumsily crawling over him to get to her feet.

"It certainly helped with that Martinagirl back there." She provided. He allowed himself a small smirk at the thought, then brushed it aside. He felt the bubbles of real problems boiling inside of him, threatening to burst on the surface.

"Lina, please. I'm honestly grateful that you want to be my friend no matter what I look like, but I simply can't go home like this. I really do want to make friends, you know. I do want to have a future. I do want to get a girlfriend and just… just be _normal_." He gave her a paled look, suddenly feeling extremely stupid and embarrassed. "I have no idea why I just told you that." He said, his voice returning to its regular gruff and cold inflection. They shared a silence for a moment, and Zel sighed, shaking his head.

"Thanks for not freaking out when you saw me." He offered. Lina shrugged.

"Why would I? The only downside I can see is that you're now too heavy for me to carry, otherwise I could just fly us over the Labyrinth and we could be there in no time." She picked a leaf from her red strands, sighing in exasperation. Zel's ears prickled and he stopped, unable to be surprised after she'd confessed to knowing Dragonslave.

"What, err… what flying spell do you use?" He asked, trying to keep his voice casual. He knew it was stupid, but …

"Oh, just Raywing. Nothing fancy." She answered with a wave of her hand. "But I _could_ pull off something fancy if I wanted to." She assured him hastily. Zel nodded, barely listening.

"I know Raywing." He said softly. And it was true. It was a spell he was familiar with, if only in theory. He'd never imagined that he'd actually get to use it – that it would actually work if he tried. Lina cocked a brow, sizing him up.

"And hre I thought your only talent would be throwing yourself at Rezo when the time came." Lina said, ignoring Zel's feverish gestures towards the sword at his side. "Well, that's great! Let's get going." She clapped her hands together and instantly her feet rose off the ground, rising to Zel's eye-level. He stared in awe for a moment before hastily collecting himself.

"Why didn't you tell me in the first place?" She asked, slightly exasperated, but she fell silent when she saw him standing stiffly, saying nothing, his eyes clasped firmly shut. He was taking deep breaths, obviously deep in concentration. Lina folded her arms across her chest and tapped one foot against empty air.

"What the heck are you doing?" She asked, most politely. Zel's eyes shot open.

"Trying to fly!" He snapped. So far his attempts didn't appear to be working, and here he'd gone and gotten his hopes up. How stupid could he have been? Knowing the way a spell worked was nothing like actually tyring to cast it. Besides, with his body, he could hardly even be light enough to lift off the ground.

"I thought you just said you knew how!" Lina cried. Irritated, she grabbed his hand and pulled, straining. Zel cried out in alarm as he felt his feet slowly lift off the ground, his eyes widening as he watched Lina's face cringe from the effort.

"Lina, wait-!" He tried to stop her but she continued to rise up, soon meeting the tree tops, Zel's feet dangling twenty feet off the ground. He felt the tingling sensation growing in the soles of his feet, his stomach bubbling in protest.

"Stop! Lina, you can't carry me the whole way!" He said. He heard her grunt and he held his breath, preparing for their inevitable plummit to their broken legs.

"Who said anything about carrying?" Lina gasped between gritted teeth. Zel looked up at her, fear spreading across his face as revelation struck him.

"Lina, I cant-!"

And then she let go. Zel's body fell through the path they'd made in the branches, the ground rushing up to meet him. A cry escaped from his lips and he raised his arms to shield his face, bracing himself for impact.

It never came. After a moment, Zel tentatively opened an eye, peeking out through the crack between his arms. He was lying horizontally two feet above the ground, a rock jutting up inches from his face. He felt his heart stop and he slowly rolled over, staring up at Lina's form.

"Lina …" He began, icily. The girl laughed in reply.

"Jeopardy, Zel. You can do anything if you think you're going to die." She laughed again and Zel slowly rose to her level, straightening himself and glaring at her.

"You didn't know I'd do that!" He snapped, angrily. Lina shook her head.

"Of course I did, now get over it, let's go."

Usually Zel had a very placid disposition. He wasn't a very warm or caring person, but he didn't easily lose his temper, either. However, the shock of the event and the abuse of the trust he'd placed in his guidehad completely crossed the line. Lina seemed to sense what was coming and her smile disappeared.

"I could've died!" His temper had been set loose and he'd make sure Lina knew it. In response, her face grew serious and she returned Zel's cold gaze.

"You're getting distracted. Let's go."

"Distracted? I _trusted_ you!" His voice was bitter and her eyebrows rose in interest.

"Oh, really? Then you think I'd have known that you'd be all right. You're unhurt, aren't you?" She asked, suddenly feeling exhausted. This wasn't a fight she wanted to be having. She acknowledged that she'd given him a fright and that he had a right to be angry, but she had really done it for his own good.

"Please get over it already. You're flying and now Rezo's castle is just a hop, skip, and a jump away." Her frigid expression melted and she smiled reassuringly at him. "Okay?"

Zel sighed, knowing she was right. He was flying, after all, and he wouldn't have been able to do it without her. He refused to apologize, however, and opted instead to give her the silent treatment. Outside he was his typically impenetrable self, but inside, he was ecstatic that he could fly.

He'd never let _Lina_ know that, though.


	6. Zel VS Teenage Hormones

Warning: This chapter has so much dorky romance in it. Zellina fans unite!

Zel VS Teenage Hormones

Lina shook her head, studying Zel out of the corner of her eye. It was infuriating thatit was the only way she could look at him without him reacting badly. He was being just as cool as when they first met, and she couldn't make it worse by allowing him to feel like a freak show.

She hadn't known until now that he was trying to get his humanity back. Well, she'd _known_, of course, but Zel hadn't actually admitted it yet. Even flying,she knewthat there probably wasn't going to be enough time. Rezo guarded his castle against uppity flying spellcasters too, after all.

It was true that Zel was enjoying himself. Despite his insistance to stay mad at Lina and give her the cold shoulder, she would catch him dipping or rolling when he thought she wasn't looking, obviously exhilirated that he could now fly. But would he still be smiling when he found out that he'd have to stay that way forever?

Even if they _did_ make it to the castle in time, Rezo would have set up challenges for Zelgadiss to complete. The Red Priest did not easily give up what he had taken away. She would still help him get to the castle, but she knew that Zel would probably be coming out of it looking exactly the same way he did flying before her.

There are a few types of people in the world. There are people who are happy and don't deserve it, and there are people who are unhappy and don't deserve it. Forget what you hear about happy people who deserve it. It just doesn't happen. Lina knew this and knew there wasn't much you could do about it, it was just the way of the world. As a sorceress, she was more than familiar with the concept of abusing power to get happiness. It was a tricky path, the life of a spellcaster. Do what's right, or do what will get you power?

With Zel, she'd chosen to do what's right, and that was helping him. Despite all she'd told herself about happiness, she felt he deserved it, and she wanted to help him get it.

He continued to ignore her, and Lina said nothing to provoke him. She'd let him stew. She didn't know him well enough to do anything else. They flew over the Labyrinth walls easily, but Lina knew the Goblin City was farther than it looked, and it would still take a little while longer. She was setting herself in for a boring trip when she saw Zel tumble a bit. He lost speed and she shot past him, turning just in time to see him shakily regain his altitude. He gave her a wary look, but after a while without any more disturbances, he was back to his icy exterior. Lina slowed her pace to fly just behind him, her eyes watching his every movement. Still he ignored her.

Until he fell.

"Zel," Lina whispered, shooting towards him. Despite her earlier positioning, she couldn't catch him in time. The wind stung her eyes but as she neared the ground, she saw him hit it with a….

A crunch. Poor bush.

She landed lightly next to him, knowing that he'd be cross and nursing a bruised ego. She offered him her hand but he refused and rubbed instead at his new bruises.

"What happened?" He asked, grumbling. Lina shrugged.

"You're probably just tired. It does take a bit of energy and that was your first time, right?" It really was no big deal. No spell was easy to cast, and for a rookie, Zel was doing amazingly well. Zel grumbled, jumping experimentally a few times. Lina laughed at the sight, quickly stiffling the sound when he shot her a glare.

"Sorry," she mumbled, and she meant it. Zel met her gaze and sighed, pulling his cloak back up around his face. Lina cringed. She'd done it again.

"Can you drop me?" Zel asked, his voice low. Lina looked at him and smiled, but shook her head.

"No, I won't."

Angry again. He sure took a while to cool down once something set him off.

"Why not?" He demanded.

"Because, Zelgadiss," her voice was stern and she emphasized every syllable, "I'm not going to abuse your trust. I honestly don't think you'd be able to catch yourself again. Now let's get moving." The forested area they had been in for the past few hours was dying out and returning to the original stone of the Labyrinth. When they'd first started, there had been goblins and odd creatures poking their heads out periodically to watch them, but there was nothing now. It was almost eerie.

Zel felt a lump rise in his throat at the revelation that he'd accepted her help, put her in harm's way, pushed her to the limit, and then abused her kindness. True, he hadn't asked for it in the first place, but she'd granted it anyway. And, remembering the way she'd treated those bandits, she certainly had the power to do otherwise.

"Thanks," he mumbled, looking away. Lina smiled over her shoulder.

"No worries, Zel! Now pick up the pace a little."

They continued along through the Labyrinth, Zel inspecting the many bruises that had been inflicted upon his body in the fall. It was fascinating, almost, seeing the way his rock body could change colour just like regular flesh, but even moreso knowing that on his regular body, there would have been deep cuts and serious damage. His body had protected him amazingly well thusfar, and he had to give it some credit. He was inspecting the intensity of a bruise on his sword hand when Lina noticed and smirked.

"Poor Zelly. Want Lina-Wina to kiss it better?" She teased, taking his hand. For a second she looked like she was hesitating, a million thoughts rushing through her mind. After all, Lina Inverse did not hand out kisses freely, even if Zel was an injured friend.

Friend? When had Zel gained that title? She smiled, mentally shrugging off her doubts and pulling Zel's hand towards her.

He ripped it away, cradling it to his chest.

"Don't." He said, sternly. Lina faltered for a moment, stung. Did he hate her so much that he wouldn't even give her his hand?

"Ouch," she mumbled. Zel looked towards her.

"What?" He glanced up and down before realization dawned over him and he felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Er, no…" He didn't quite know how to explain the situation he was in.

"It's just something Rezo said. He might not have been serious, but I can't risk it." Zel offered, apologetically, and he frowned. He wasn't quite sure he liked this conversation. He wasn't quite sure he liked anything, actually, but he did know that he was disappointed. At what? Not being able to receive a kiss from Lina? He suddenly gave her a paranoid look, wondering if she could read minds, and distracted himself, all the while feeling grateful that he'd developped a constant expression of indifference to any situation.

Okay, so maybe a kiss from Lina wouldn't be so bad. But she was a teenage girl, right? Maybe a bit on the flat-chested side, but really pretty in that cute and petite sort of way. And he was a teenage boy. A sexually repressed teenage boy, for that matter. A kiss from any girl would be appealing, wouldn't it? Not just Lina in particular. The fact that she was the only girl to actually show an interest in him for more than five minutes was a bonus, sure, but it wasn't Lina he was interested in. Right? It would be natural for him to be attracted to her!

But he'd never been attracted to anyone before. Not really. And, wait, when had he started finding Lina attractive? He reached up to pull the cloak away from his face again, touching his stone skin.

And then he felt her hand on his arm. He jumped, torn between wanting to slap her hand away and … and, well …

"Shit," he whispered, quickly looking away before she saw the look in his eyes.

"I pride myself on my hearing, you know." She smirked, "anyway, are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick." He gave her a weak nod and stepped away, picking up his pace.

This emotional roller coaster was too much. First he was furious with her, now all he could think about was kissing her? Wait – he stopped – kiss her? Rezo had only said she couldn't kiss him, right?

"Stop it, Zelgadiss." He told himself, suddenly. He was sure Lina heard again.

"What did Rezo tell you?" She asked, trotting up to walk beside him.

"Nothing!" He said almost a bit too sharply. Lina took his hand again, pulling it towards her abruptly.

"Don't lie to me!" She threatened, "Or I'll kiss it! I really will! Ew, Lina cooties!" He knew she meant it as a joke. He could tell. But he tore his hand away once more.

A brief flash of pain went through her eyes before it was gone, her smile never faltering.

"Sorry," Zel mumbled, "Did I hurt you?" His voice was dry. He was really not enjoying this conversation. At all.

"In more ways than one." Lina muttered, shrugging her shoulders. Zel shut his eyes, almost irritated. Why did she have to say that? Now he had to admit that he'd hurt her feelings, he couldn't pretend anymore. He turned to look at her and she felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Rezo said that if you kissed me, he'd take away my humanity." He said, coldly. He didn't want her having insight on how he felt about it. "I mean, what's left of it. He said he'd replace it with demon." He sighed, relieved he'd gotten that off his chest. Now Lina's feelings wouldn't be hurt anymore. It was really frustrating that he actually cared about that.

"What about if you kissed me?" She asked, her brow furrowed. He stared at her incredulously.

"What?" She raised her hands in defence, blushing, "I was just curious to see if he'd thought of both ways! It's interesting, that's all. It seems like a stupid think to make a threat of, anyway." She admitted.

No. Not really.

"Right, but that's why I took my hand away. Not because I didn't want you to or anything." There. He'd explained it. Now they could go back to talking about other things, or not talking at all. Just walking. Walking was good. No talking.

"You mean you wanted me to kiss you?"

Zel stopped. What had he said? He hadn't said that! Had he? His eyes widened in horror.

"No, that's not-" He attempted to explain, but Lina was too busy pointing at his face.

"You're blushing," she gasped, "you _so_ wanted me to kiss you!" Her eyes were bright and she laughed. She began to say something about not blaming him, what with her being gorgeous and all, but he wasn't exactly listening. A million cursewords were rushing htrough his head at once, but they all went by in a blur and instead he pointed at Lina.

"You are, too!" He blurted. Ah yes. Diversionary tactics. Her hands shot up to her cheeks and she attempted what probably should've been a growl, but came out as more of a squeak. Zel nodded, his face serious. So, he'd been found out. The least he could do was drag her down with him. His eyes narrowed.

"You _so_ wanted to." He said, a mocking smirk on his face. All this did was make Lina's face turn an even brighter hue of scarlet, with embarrassement or rage, Zel wasn't quite sure. Either way, her reaction was—

"FIREBALL!"

"You okay?" Lina asked, offering him her hand. She still wore a frown, but her face had finally managed to return to its normal colouring. Zel grunted, trying to hide a smirk. He was actually hardly hurt at all - he could thank the golem body and demon strength for that. He was trying to think up something dastardly and witty to say, but Lina interrupted his thoughts.

"Zel, we have an hour left. I don't think we're going to make it."

Zel froze, his smirk catching on his lips. He tried to digest what she'd just said.

"Don't react the way I think you're going to. Listen!" Lina struggled to explain, "You couldn't cast magic before, right? You can now! You're stronger, faster, and you still have your human heart! That's all that counts, right?"

He felt a growl rise in his throat and he stuggled to get to his feet.

"Lina," he started, but Lina cut him off.

"And don't complain about how it looks, because I like it." She was blushing again, and Zel fell back to the earth, looking up at her. She wasn't looking at _him_, though.

"So, just give up on Rezo. I know its tough, but you've lost this one." She said, turning her face towards him. Zel sighed.

"And here I thought you were the type who doesn't give up." He said. Lina flinched, and he went on, "You didn't give up on me, at least, and I'm a lost cause. I'm not stopping until the clock runs out, Lina." He said, a smile creeping onto his lips. When did he get so optimistic?

"You don't have to keep helping me if you don't want to." He offered, finally. Lina's eyes were stern and she nodded, slowly, offering him her hand once more. This time he took it, rising to his feet.

"Don't be stupid, of course I'll help you." She muttered. Zel gave her a small smile that he hoped she didn't actually see.

"And besides," he said, almost too shocked to stop himself, "how will I ever kiss you if I don't face Rezo?"

A blush, beet red. Lina stumbled, losing her balance. Zel's weight pulled him back to the ground and Lina tumbled with him, her body crashing against his and, for one horrifying moment, their lips meeting.

She was soft and warm. Her hair fell against his face and tickled his cheeks, her tiny frame pressed against him. For a moment – a brief, tantalizing moment – he considered wrapping his arms around her and letting it go on. But then reality had to rear its ugly head.

Lina shot up like a rocket and backed away, hastily. Zel scuttled back several feet, a look of horror on his face.

"Zel?" Lina asked. He stared at his hands, swallowing hard. If he licked his lips, he could still taste her on his mouth, but his mind reeled with the consequences. Had Rezo been bluffing? Did that even count? He prayed that the first answer was yes and the second was no. _Please please please please please_ …

And for a moment, he thought he was safe.

Then he felt it, a rage he had never known existed. He felt it boil through his veins like an epidemic, and if he licked his lips, he could no longer taste Lina, but her fear. It was in the air, sweet and potent, mixed in with the bitter sense of her concern, and something else altogether disgusting. Zel blinked, seeing red.

"Lina, run." He told her, before he looked up into her eyes and lost control.


	7. Along Came a Spider

Chapter 7: Along Came a Spider

Lina watched in horror as Zel's eyes shut for the last time.

It was merely a blink, but when he opened them again, his cerulean irises had streaks of red, screams of agony echoing from inside of him. Lina felt her heart stop and she bit back a cry. Summoning her strength, she stepped back and prepared herself for the worst. If Zel attacked, she'd have to defend herself. But she couldn't hurt him, could she? Six hours ago he'd saved her from a slug. Three hours ago she'd been his friend. Three minutes ago they'd been flirting. Actually _flirting_! Her, Lina Inverse! And worst of all, she'd really liked it.

She looked at Zel now and felt like she was going to be sick. There was no use fighting it. She really liked Zel. _Really_ liked him.She couldn't kill him now. Zel – or, at least, what used to be Zel – lifted his head upwards, giving her a malicious look. She flexed her jaw, strengthening her resolve. If he attacked, she would fight back.

"That's good." Zel grunted, his voice a low growl, "those emotions are nice. Keep it up." Lina sneered in response, her eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" She asked. The demon had to come from somewhere, and she'd had dealings with demons before. If she knew this one in particular – or maybe one of its relations – then she might know its weakness. It stretched Zel's body, cracking his knuckles.

"What do you mean? I'm Zelgadiss. Dear Zelgadiss." It smirked, its tongue running along one of its eyeteeth.

"Don't give me that. Who are you?" She struggled to keep her voice cool. She may be feeding it with her anger, but she wasn't going to garnish the meal with a physical manifestation of her feelings. The demon held her gaze, a flicker of something repulsive passing through his eyes. Lina repressed a shudder, wanting to look away but knowing she had to keep her eyes on it.

And then she made her first mistake. She blinked.

Before she opened her eyes once more, she felt the demon approaching her. Leaping into the air, she shot a fireball in its direction, its hand extended to where she'd stood seconds before. The spell bounced off its exterior, singing it, if she was lucky. She struggled to think of any Shamanic variations she could use. Black magic was definetely her forte, but if she could get herself on the astral plane, maybe she could knock the demon out of Zel's mind.

The demon smirked, twisting Zel's mouth into a cruel smile.

"It won't work." It said, guessing her mind. Lina eyed the demon suspiciously.

"You think Rezo slapped some low-brow demon underling into this body?" It licked its lips, "Rezo only let the dark parts of my soul run free. Mixed with the demon blood I already had in this chimera form … this is me, Lina." His voice was mocking, and Lina swallowed.

It was possible, she knew. Zel was full of bittter feelings. There was enough for the demon blood to run off of. Her chest clenched. If that was the case, then there was no trapped Zelgadis, struggling to control his body. Zel might even be willingly acting this way.

"Awww, poor Lina. I can read you like a book." The demon – Zel – smirked. "Don't get me wrong, Lina. I still want you. I just have the feeling you won't let me take you."

Lina felt like she was going to be sick. No. Not a chance. She may not know Zel very well, but she knew that he was better than succumbing to hate. She knew he wouldn't allow himself to become a slave to his own feelings, an empty vessel for fury and malice.

Zel laughed.

"This is great. I never knew feelings could taste this good." He said, his eyes traveling up and down her body. "You know, we can kiss all you want, now. There's no more danger of me turning into a demon. I already am one!" He roared and Lina frowned again, her eyes scanning for a weakness. There had to be a way around this.

"I wouldn't kiss a wealking," she muttered. Zel's laugh cut short, his eyes thin as he studied her.

"Don't push your luck, Lina." His voice was icy. "Friendship is gone. Anything I might have felt for you is all in the past." He eyed her, his tongue finding a fang once more.

"So what do you want, then?" She was stalling, trying to come up when a plan to save him, and he knew it. His smile grew.

"To watch you bleed." He whispered, taking a step towards her. Lina held her ground.

"One thing, though," he shrugged, "The lust is still there. God, I really need to get out more often, if the first girl to give me cravings is a flat-chested, loud-mouthed witch." He mocked. Lina didn't react. She knew he was trying to get her with anger, pain … anything that would taste good to a demon.

"So, I don't mind giving you some fun before you die." He winked and Lina felt herself wanting to gag. He caught the way her skin paled, tasted the disgust in the air, and his face twisted in fury.

"But no, you couldn't be with a stone _freak_!" His voice was a scream, wreathed in fury, "Well, it's your fault I'm this way. You failed me. Now if I have to be stuck looking like this, YOU have to be stuck dealing with it." He panted, walking towards her and grabbing her arms, squeezing. She said nothing. She had to make sure. Before he could pull her towards him, she leaned in, her lips finding his and kissed him, softly.

For a moment he melted. His hands slipped off her arms and slowly made their way around her waist, his palm gently pushing against the small of her back. For a moment he was gentle, and Lina relaxed in relief.

Somewhere, inside of Zel, he actually cared about her. Somewhere in the past 13 hours, they'd become friends. Zel pulled away, looking into Lina's eyes, and she stared at him.

Then he grinned.

"That's more like it." He said, and he was no longer gentle. He pulled her towards him again, his lips locking so firmly on hers that she thought he was going to leave bruises. She felt his tongue trying to gain entry, but her lips were sealed. Frustrated, he bit her lower lip, hard, and pulled away.

"The body I'm okay with," she told him, calmly. "It's the attitude that needs adjusting."

He screamed, tossing her to the ground and drawing his sword. His eyes blazed and Lina raised her arms, still sore from his grip.

"Freeze arrow!" she shouted, sending a javelin of ice in his direction. It hit him in the shoulder, the impact knocking him back. She cast Raywing, leaping into the air, and watched as he tried to follow suite, unsuccessfully.

"Get BACK here, Lina!" His voice called after her, rage dripping from every syllable.

"Forget it, Zel." She called, just out of reach, "I have an appointment with Rezo. Don't get into too much trouble." She winked, ignoring his furious outbursts behind her.


End file.
